2017 Golden Globes Recap: La La Land sweeps and Sets a New Record
So the Golden Globes are over and done with, and the result was one that nobody was expecting: La La Land, the Oscar front-runner, swept the board with 7 wins, and it didn’t lose one single award. This is unprecedented, especially for an awards show like this one, which is notorious for splitting up the differences and making sure every major studio or TV network is given at least one award. Well, it just wasn’t the case this year as several big films and studios went home empty handed. Here’s a recap of the film awards from last night. In case you missed it, last week I wrote a blog predicting who would win, so I’ll put down who or what film I had winning each award.
Best Foreign Language Film
My prediction: Elle
The winner: Elle
So this was a correct prediction. Since it was also nominated in the lead actress category, it wasn’t hard to see that the Hollywood Foreign Press enjoyed this one.
Best Animated Feature
My prediction: Zootopia
The winner: Zootopia
Another correct prediction, and at this rate unless we have a situation where the front-runner isn’t nominated at the Oscars this year, not unlike The LEGO Movie (2014), this one should also have the Oscar win in the bag.
Best Original Song
My prediction: “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana
The winner: “City of Stars” from La La Land
The first incorrect prediction, and yes, no one could have foreseen such a sweep, but this was the front-runner, and I just went against the grain.
Best Original Score
My prediction: La La Land
The winner: La La Land
This was a fairly easy one to predict. Even if it wasn’t a sweep night, this one was probably going to La La Land anyways.
Best Screenplay
My prediction: Manchester by the Sea
The winner: La La Land
This one is really not what they usually go with. In my memory, I cannot recall any musical that has won this award before. Usually films like Manchester by the Sea or Moonlight win, but last night was an exception.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
My prediction: Viola Davis for Fences
The winner: Viola Davis for Fences
As the Oscar front-runner, I didn’t really see a scenario where Viola didn’t win this one, and with this one under her belt, she’s almost a lock to win about everything else this year.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
My prediction: Mahershala Ali for Moonlight
The winner: Aaron Taylor-Johnson for Nocturnal Animals
Really? You have a really talented lineup and you go with the most mediocre performance of the bunch? Do you really like this movie that much? To have favorite Mahershala Ali and Jeff Bridges and Dev Patel upset? This one I’ll chalk up to the Globes just being crazy.
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Comedy/Musical
My prediction: Emma Stone for La La Land
The winner: Emma Stone for La La Land
This one was a gimme, and this could actually be the starting point to where Emma eventually wins that Oscar, too. We’ll have to wait and see.
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Comedy/Musical
My prediction: Ryan Gosling for La La Land
The winner: Ryan Gosling for La La Land
This one was a tougher choice, but with the sweep in effect, those who doubted him being nominated at Oscars should be thinking twice now.
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Drama
My prediction: Natalie Portman for Jackie
The winner: Isabelle Huppert for Elle
So yes, the Hollywood Foreign Press did see the movie, and evidently they liked it enough to give it not only best foreign film but also this award. This really mixes things up in the Oscar race and now Portman is vulnerable.
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Drama
My prediction: Denzel Washington for Fences
The winner: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
This one I switched in the last 24 hours. I had the winner predicted before, but with such a quiet performance in comparison, I thought they would go with the more flamboyant performance, but alas, not the case.
Best Director
My prediction: Damien Chazelle for La La Land
The winner: Damien Chazelle for La La Land
This one is for sure a confidence booster for Chazelle and his second Globe of the night. He will remain in the front-runner position and unless we have a Ben Affleck or Kathryn Bigelow situation where they aren’t nominated, he should be clear ahead to that Oscar.
Best Motion Picture: Comedy/Musical
My prediction: La La Land
The winner: La La Land
Again, this one was pretty easy, and really the competition was too soft for anything to take it down.
Best Motion Picture: Drama
My prediction: Manchester by the Sea
The winner: Moonlight
I had an inkling after Mahershala Ali lost that this would happen. With six nominations, they had to give Moonlight something, and this was a possibility, so this one I say okay, I missed it.
So what did we learn? La La Land is definitely still in that front-runner status, the director race may be done, the lead actor race is shaping up to belong to Casey, lead actress is still up in the air, supporting actress is locked up, supporting actor could still be a question mark going forward, and now the screenplay races are going to be under question. Tomorrow morning the British Academy Film Award nominations will be announced, or later tonight if you’re in the U.S., so we’ll see if they throw any wrenches into any races, and also tomorrow we get our nominations for the Producers Guild Awards for the ten best films of the year. I’ll have a follow-up on those as well as a BAFTA nominations prediction blog later today, so the awards conversations will continue.
